Fregeolle
method of knitting



Jan. 4, 1966 D. FREGEOLLE 3,226,954

METHOD OF KNITTING Filed April 1, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 wwmwm n n n n nii ii n H I! f I. II

2:91 DONAT H. FREGEOLLE BY WM 0% A TTORNE Y Jan. 4, 1966 METHOD OFKNITTING Filed April 1, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 DONAT HFREGEOLLE.

BY QM QCZKM A TTORNE Y D. H. FREGEOLLE 3,226,954

Jan. 4, 1966 D. H. FREGEOLLE METHOD OF KNITTING 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 FiledApril 1, 1963 INVENTOR.

DONAT H. FRESEOLLE A TTORNEY Jan. 4, 1966 H. FREGEOLLE 3,226,954

METHOD OF KNITTING 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 1, 1963 INVENTOR.

DONHT H. FREGEOLLE.

A TTORNE Y United States Patent C 3,226,?54 METHOD OF KNITTlNG Donat H.Fregeolle, Cumberland, 18.1., assignor to The Banner Company, CentralFalls, R.I., a corporation of Rhode Island Filed Apr. 1, 1963, Ser. No.269,539 Claims. (Cl. 66-125) This invention relates to knitting and moreparticularly to an improvement in the method of forming various patterneffects in tubular fabrics.

It is a general object of the invention to provide certain needles thatare instrumental in the formation of pattern effects in tubular fabricwith an increased amount of yarn in excess of that normally consumed inconventional stitch formation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a method and meansfor selectively controlling the amount of yarn fed to individual groupsof needles which in effect determine the resultant pattern design in thefabric.

It is a further and more specific object of the invention to provide amethod employing a horn member around which the yarn is caused to bewrapped prior to being fed to each group of needles and which is alsoselectively movable to and from yarn engaging position.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingmore detailed disclosure.

The present invention is applicable to knitting machines of knownconstruction, such as the well-known SCP or SCOP machines, and suchmachines are completely described in United States Patent No. 2,217,022and later patents. Since this patent may be referred to for a detaileddescription of the type of machine to which the current inventionrelates, it is considered unnecessary at this point to insert herein thedetails of the general aspects of construction and operation of themachine.

Patent application Serial No. 208,315, filed July 9, 1962, under thetitle of Knitting Method and Article, relates to a method of knittingarticles of hosiery in which any one or a combination of various patterneffects is formed, such as lacework or filet patterns of any desiredconfiguration.

The present invention relates to an improved method that is adapted tofunction in conjunction with that invention for producing a patternedeffect in hosiery by selectively controlling the amount of yarn fed tocertain needles while knitting those pattern areas and which takes placeentirely in one direction of operation of the machine or in rotary work.

The method employed to produce these patterned efl'ects comprisesknitting consecutive partial courses one each during individualrevolutions of the needle cylinder with some of the stitches in anygiven partial course overlapping some of the stitches in the previouslyknitted partial course. The mechanism employed to carry out theinvention includes a centrally disposed and selectively engageable hornmember around which the yarn is wrapped when it is being fed to eachgroup of needles knitting a partial course. By wrapping the yarn aroundthe horn in this manner, the amount of yarn that is fed to each group isincreased and, being caused to knit in overlapping relation with theprevious knit partial course, the increased amount of yarn fed to agroup of needles is partially consumed in some of the stitches of thatgroup with the majority thereof remaining as a float between theconsecutive partial courses. This extra yarn is particularlyadvantageous in providing additional stretch to the finished article ofhosiery and permits the wearer of said hosiery greater ease of slippingthis article of clothing over and off the heel portion of his foot.

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The invention will be described hereinafter in greater detail byreference to the accompanying figures of drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the top portion of a knitting machineshowing the selectively engageable horn member in operating positionwith yarn wrapped therearound as it is fed to the first needle of theraised group shown;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 but showing the horn memberwithdrawn to an inactive position;

FIG. 3 is a view like that of FIG. 2 but shown as seen looking from theback of the machine; and

PEG. 4 is a stitch diagram, looking from the inside of the fabric, ofone type of patterned. hosiery which ray be knitted according to theinvention.

Now referring to the figures of drawing which show the upper portion ofa knitting machine, the usual sinker cap is shown at It} and the carrierring at 11 which supports the yarn feeding fingers generally indicatedby numeral 12. Each finger is controlled by known means to lower itsyarn at the precise moment to be taken and to be knit by the needles 13.

A generally vertical extending member 14 is supported and pivotallyattached intermediate its ends as at 15 to a centrally disposedplate-like bracket 16 which is suspended above the needle cylinder onthe inner end of a generally L-shaped arm 17 (FIG. 3).

Member 14 is provided with a laterally extending foot portion or horn 18of arcuate configuration, and is adapted to be selectively moved by amechanism to be more fully explained hereinafter, into close proximitywith the inner side of the knitting instrumentalities (FIG. 1). Theupper end of member 14 is provided with an integrally formed andlaterally extending portion 19 the underside of which serves as acamming means to pivot the born 18 to an inactive position. Theextending portion 19 is provided on the free end thereof with anobliquely extending cam member 20 which is attached to portion 19 bymeans of screws 21. The underside of cam member 20 is adapted tocooperate with portion 19 when camrning the born 13 to an inactiveposition (FIGS. 2 and 3).

The inner end of the L-shaped arm 17 supports and has journaled thereina bar member 22 which is selectively movable in a vertical direction.The upper end of bar member 22 is provided with an outwardly directedL-shaped rod 23. As shown in FIG. 1, the free end of rod 23 passesbeneath and is in contact with the ex tending portion 19 of member 14when the horn 18 is in operating position. FIGS. !2 and 3 show the barmember 22 raised to an elevated position and rod 23, being fixedlypositioned on the upper end thereof, is caused to move across theunderside of the extending portion 19 and cam member 2%, thus pivotingmember 14 and placing born 13 in an inactive position.

Member 14 is spring biased in a counterclockwise direction as viewed inFIG. 1 by means of a coil spring 24 one end of which is attached to theplate-like bracket 16 by means of screw 25 and the opposite end isattached to member 14 immediately above its pivot point 15 by means of ascrew 26. When bar member 22 is moved upwardly to swing the horn 18 toan inactive position, spring 24 is expanded and when bar 22 isselectively lowered, the tendency of the spring to return to its freelength causes member 14 to pivot and move the horn 18 into closeproximity with the inner side of the knitting instrumentalities. Theborn 18 is not permitted to contact the knitting instrumentalities andis restricted from doing so by means of the upper and inner portion ofmember 14 coming into contact with the side of rod 23 to limit itspivotal movement.

sagas-e4 Bar member 22 is selectively raised and lowered by a controlmechanism which includes a lever arm 27 one end of which is pivotallyattached to the lower portion of bar 22. This lever arm is pivot-edintermediate its ends as at 28 (FIG. 3) and the opposite end thereof isprovided with a slot 29 into which a pin 30 is adapted to be received.Pin 39 is fixedly attached to one end of a second lever arm 31 which isalso pivoted intermediate its ends as at 32. The opposite end of thissecond lever arm is pivotally connected to a generally vertical link rod33 which through known linkages interconnected with its opposite end iscaused to reciprocate vertically according to the dictates of the mainpattern drum (not shown) situated in the lower portion of the machineitself.

Although patterning may be incorporated in any or all portions of anarticle of hosiery, it is desirable to incorporate these patternedeffects in the leg portion after completing the top thereof.

A cutter and binder unit U of conventional design is adapted to functionin timed relation with the aforementioned mechanism utilized in forminga fabric of desired configuration by cutting and holding yarn A andelastic yarn B which form the top. A yarn C or body yarn is then fed tothe needles 13 and is wrapped around horn 13 when fed to the firstneedle of each group knitting consecutive partial courses. The yarnmeasured around the horn is shed therefrom as the needle cylinder movesin a counterclockwise direction.

This cutter and binder unit is like that disclosed in United StatesPatent No. 3,024,635 and it obtains its means of actuation in a likemanner; however, the actual unit itself is positioned on the oppositeside of arm 17 and is supported by a mounting bracket 34 which isattached to the free end of said arm 17. To actuate the cutter andbinder on this side of arm 17, a U-shaped lever 35 is utilized whichpasses over the top of said arm and thence downwardly to a point whereits free end contacts the upper portion of the spring biased cutting andbinding blade at. The other end of lever 35 is formed to extendoutwardly from the needle cylinder and is pivoted at 23 along with leverarm 27. The remaining linkages interconnected with lever 35 are similarto and are actuated in a like manner and in timed relation with movementof lever arm 27.

In operation, the top of the stocking is formed in a well known mannerby means of the top yarn A and the elastic yarn B. On completion of thetop portion, these yarns are withdrawn and are cut and held by thebinder unit. The leg or body portion of the stocking in knit by yarn Cin consecutive partial courses by selected groups of needles duringindividual revolutions of the needle cylinder. At each subsequentpartial course the same number of needles may the selected and at leastsome of the needles that knit in a previous partial course are selectedto knit with newly selected needles to overlap some of the stitches insaid previous course. A patterning elfect is thus produced in the bodyportion as the knitting proceeds from needles which have knitted one ormore times during preceding revolutions of the needle cylinder toneedles which knit in continuation of such needles in subsequentrevolutions.

This pattern effect can be formed around the entire article of tubularfabric and for any desired length thereof by continuing to knit furtherpartial courses with some only of the group of needles which knitted ineach immediate previous course until all needles have knit, or thepattern eifect may be incorporated in specific wales of the fabric forany desired length to form a vertical patterned design.

After completing the top of the stocking, bar member 22 is lowered andpermits member 14 to pivot placing the horn 13 in close proximity withthe knitting instrumentalities. That yarn finger controlling yarn C islowered in a known manner at this time to commence the leg portion ofthe stocking. With the leg portion being formed as consecutive partialcourses of stitches, the last needle of each selected group of needlesto knit holds the yarn and as the needle cylinder moves around to startthe next partial course, yarn C is wrapped around horn 18 and is causedto be fed to the needles of the next group that will knit the nextpartial course. Each course is formed in overlapping relationship withthe previously knit partial course and is so accomplished preferably byselecting on each subsequent revolution some of the needles that hadknit on the previous revolution plus a sufficient number of additionalneedles to complete the number desired for each partial course. Thismanner of needle selection is continued until all of the needles haveknit and is then repeated for the remainder of the leg portion or for asfar as it is desirous to incorporate the patterned effect.

The yarn which is measured or wrapped around horn 18 slips off of thehorn as the needle cylinder rotates in a counterclockwise direction andthe extra yarn measured by said horn forms a float between the stitchformed by the last needle of the group that knitted a preceding partialcourse and is further consumed in the stitches of that group.

This extra yarn allows these stitches to be formed in overlappingrelationship without drawing up too tightly between said stitches.Additionally this extra yarn is particularly advantageous in providingadditional stretch to the finished stocking which permits the wearerthereof greater ease of putting on and the taking oil of said stocking.

FIG. 4 illustrates on an enlarged scale a partial stitch diagram of apattern knitted according to the invention described hereinabove.Portions of eight courses of fabric are indicated by arrows numbered 3'7to 44. The manner in which this typical pattern may be knitted will nowbe described.

In the first revolution of the needle cylinder prior to the first courseof patterning, four needles only are selected to knit yarn C and formstitches 45, as, 47, and 43, or a partial course in the first course 37of the patterning. All the remaining needles pass inactively through theknitting station and do not knit in this first revolution of thecylinder.

On the second revolution in the patterning, the same four needles areagain selected as well as four additional trailing needles. The firstgroup draws stitches 45a 46a, 47a, and 43a as a part of a second partialcourse in the second course 38 of the patterned area while the fouradditional needles draw stitches 4-9, 56, 51, and 52 as the remainder ofthe second partial course but these lie in the first course 37 of thepatterned area. Intermediate the first and second partial courses, yarnC leading from the needle which knitted stitch 48 is wrapped around horn18 to provide excess yarn for the float P which is formed between thestitch and the first stitch 45a of the next partial course.

On the third revolution in the patterning cycle the first group of fourneedles remains inactive while the second group of four needles is againselected to draw stitches 4%, Stla, 51a, and 520 as a part of a thirdpartial course and which lie in the second course 38, and also a thirdgroup of four additional trailing needles is selected to draw stitches53, 54, 55, and 56 as the remainder of that third partial course andwhich remainder lies in the first course 37 of the patterned area, theend of the second partial course and beginning of the third partialcourse also being interconnected by a fioat F formed in an identicalmanner to the first. In FIG. 4 courses 37 and 33 are indicated by crosshatching.

This general cycle is repeated until two complete courses of fabric havebeen knitted. It will be apparent that the cycle except for the intialselection of four needles comprises knitting a partial course with afirst group of eight needles during one revolution of the needlecylinder, then on a subsequent revolution knitting a further partialcourse with a second group of eight needles which second group includessome only of the first group and also some additional needles, so thateach group of four needles knits during each of two revolutions of thecylinder and is rendered inactive on the third revolution.

Each time that a new group of needles is selected to knit, openings orholes H are produced in the fabric between adjacent stitches in eachgroup.

When the two courses 37 and 38 are completed, the same cycle is repeatedwith respect to courses 39 and 40 (dotted courses in FIG. 4) immediatelyfollowing except that the needle selection is displaced by two needles,that is, instead of commencing with the needles which knitted stitches45 to 48, the needles which knitted stitches 45 and 46 and theimmediately preceding two needles are selected to knit the first partialcourse in course 39 of the fabric. Then, the following partial course isknitted on a following revolution using these same four needles and afurther immediately trailing group of four needles, and so on, untilcourses 3% and 40 are completed. This variation in needle selection asto courses 39 and 40 results in holes or openings H which are offset twostitches course-wise with respect to holes H Next, courses 41, 42, 43,and 44 are knitted in the same manner and are exact duplicates ofcourses 37, 38, 39, and 40 and the cycle of four courses is repeated foras long as desired.

Obviously, the offsetting of the needle selection in courses 39 and 40is entirely arbitrary and results in a different pattern effect than ifthe same grouping of needles were re-selected for each of the pairs ofcourses.

The size of the holes may be increased merely by knitting three or moretimes on each group of four needles before selecting additional newneedles to knit instead of only twice as in the pattern described andshown in FIG. 4.

Additionally, the needle selection may be varied in many different waysand in groups of at least two or any greater number to produce unusualhole patterns. The selection as to number of needles in each group neednot be repeated. Not all of the needles of a particular group need to bere-selected to knit on the second partial course but some may beselected to tuck on that course to produce still other variations.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to beunderstood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number ofways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precisedetails described, but is intended to embrace all variations andmodifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and thescope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A method of knitting a tubular fabric on an independent needleknitting machine having a needle cylinder and needles which comprisesthe steps of knitting a plurality of partial courses each on individualrevolutions of said cylinder and in the same direction by selectedgroups of needles and wrapping yarn being knitted around a horn prior toits being fed to said groups of needles.

2. A method of knitting a tubular fabric on an independent needleknitting machine having a needle cylinder and needles which comprisesthe steps of alternatingly wrapping yarn around a horn and knitting aplurality of partial courses each on individual revolutions of saidcylinder and in the same direction, at least one of the needles whichknits in any given partial course being a needle which has knitted inthe preceding partial course, thereby providing yarn to each group ofneedles in excess of that normally drawn.

3. A- method of knitting a tubular fabric on a circular independentneedle knitting machine having a needle cylinder and needles whichcomprises the steps of (a) knitting a first partial course on a firstgroup of needles,

(b) knitting a second partial course with at least some of said firstgroup of needles and with some additional trailing needles,

(c) continuing the knitting of further partial courses with some only ofthe group of needles which knitted in the immediately previous partialcourse until all of the needles have knitted, and

(d) providing to one of the needles in each partial course a greateramount of yarn than to the remaining needles.

4. A method of knitting a tubular fabric on a circular independentneedle knitting machine having a needle cylinder and needles whichcomprises the steps of (a) knitting a first partial course on a firstgroup of needles,

(b) knitting a second partial course with at least some of said firstgroup of needles and with some additional trailing needles,

(0) continuing the knitting of further partial courses with some only ofthe group of needles which knitted in the immediately previous partialcourse until all of the needles have knitted,

(d) providing to one of the needles in each partial course a greateramount of yarn than to the remaining needles, and

(e) repeating steps a, b, c, and d for as long as desired.

5. A method of knitting a tubular fabric on a circular independentneedles knitting machine having a needle cylinder and needles whichcomprises the steps of (a) knitting a partial course on a first group ofneedles,

(b) knitting at least one additional partial course with said firstgroup of needles,

(c) knitting a subsequent partial course with at least one of theneedles of said first group with a second group of additional needles,

(d) knitting at least one additional partial course with said secondgroup of needles,

(e) providing to one of the needles in each partial course a greateramount of yarn than to the remaining needles, and

(f) continuing the knitting until a tubular article is completed.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS DONALD W. PARKER,Primary Examiner.

1. A METHOD OF KNITTING A TUBULAR FABRIC ON AN INDEPENDENT NEEDLEKNITTING MACHINE HAVING A NEEDLE CYLINDER AND NEEDLES WHICH COMPRISESTHE STEPS OF KNITTING A PLURALITY OF PARTIAL COURSES EACH ON INDIVIDUALREVOLUTIONS OF SAID CYLINDER AND IN THE SAME DIRECTION BY SELECTEDGROUPS OF NEEDLES AND WRAPPING YARN BEING KNITTED AROUND A HORN PRIOR TOITS BEING FED TO SAID GROUPS OF NEEDLES.